In just a matter of hours, the New England Patriots will be on the clock with the No. 3 overall pick and there's been some speculation as to what the franchise may do with that selection. De facto GM Eliot Wolf stoked those curiosities this past week during his pre-draft press conference when he noted that the club is "open for business" and added that he's had some conversations about possibly trading out of the pick.
On Thursday, a report from NBC Sports revealed that the Patriots are expected to take North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, unless someone makes an offer they "can't refuse." Teams that could make them an offer include the Minnesota Vikings or New York Giants.
A previous ESPN report was in line with the latest news, stating that barring an unexpected blockbuster trade offer, the Patriots will stay at No. 3 and select a quarterback.
"You can't win without a quarterback," a Patriots source told ESPN.
This always felt like the most logical route for New England to go down, particularly after trading away former first-rounder Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The club signed Jacoby Brissett in free agency and also has Bailey Zappe on the roster, but has no bonafide future at the position nor a player with as tremendous of a ceiling as someone they could draft at No. 3.
While there are reports that the Patriots will take Maye, there are other options for the team: LSU's Jayden Daniels and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy are both potential options for New England at that spot in the draft, but their availability at No. 3 will depend on what the Washington Commanders do with the second overall pick. They are also earmarked for a quarterback with their pick and most mock drafts, including the latest from CBS Sports' Senior NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson, have them going with Daniels. So, under that scenario, that'd leave the Patriots with a choice between Maye or McCarthy.
As for what they'll actually do, we'll know by tonight.
